James Lester remained stoic as between them, Captain Becker and Jess Parker explained to him what they had seen in the Triassic. Once they had finished their explanation he took a few deep breaths before picking up the telephone receiver.
"Get me the Minister." The statement did not leave anyone under any illusions; James Lester was pissed. A few moments passed by in silence as he was put on hold but eventually, he spoke again. "Sir, we may have a problem."
"What is it, James?" Despite the fact that Lester had the receiver to his ear both Becker and Jess could hear the Minister as if he were on speaker. "I was in a rather important conference call."
"My apologies Sir."
"Yes, yes," the Minister paused and sighed heavily. "Well, spit it out man."
"It's Matt Anderson, Sir," unlike most of his peers, Lester was in no way intimidated by the Minister. "I believe that he has gone rogue."
"Oh my, we don't have another Helen Cutter on our hands, do we?"
"I sincerely hope not," Lester glanced towards Becker as he spoke but found no assistance there, in fact all he did get was a shrug. "It does not appear to be anything like that Sir, no."
"Well that's a small mercy at least," again, the Minister sighed. "Do what you need to do James, you have my full backing of course."
"Thank you Sir, there is one other thing as I have you on the line."
"And what might that be?"
"The rest of my team, Sir," Lester had an inkling that the Minister knew exactly where Connor and Abby were, both of whom Lester would need before the ARC could stop Matt from doing something even more ridiculously stupid than he already had done. "You wouldn't know where they are, would you?"
"I do not know what you are talking about, I'm sure," the Minister replied, a reply which Lester recognised instantly as a lie.
"Please, David, don't treat me as a child."
"Fine," the Minister replied in the manner of one caught out in a lie, which is exactly what he was. "They're with Jenny Lewis, Danny Quinn, and Special Forces Captain Mitchell. Look, you might as well come down to Number Ten and I'll fill you in fully... Say, twenty-five minutes?"
"We'll see you there," Lester replied with a nod as he terminated the call.
***
Twenty-Five minutes later, Becker brought the four-wheel drive to a halt at the gates to Downing Street. Upon seeing Sir James Lester in the passenger seat the officer on duty waved them through straight away and Becker drove slowly across the cobbles and stopped directly outside Number Ten. Two armed police officers stood, one on either side of the railings that were outside the residence and as he clambered out through the passenger door Lester shielded his face as he did not want to be caught on camera by the lingering paparazzi. The three of them were quickly ushered inside and into a dining room of sorts. No sooner were they seated did a maid enter carrying a silver tray upon which was both a tea and a coffee pot, along with four china cups and a sugar bowl. Moments later the Minister entered the room and without so much as a squeak the maid poured him a cup of coffee before offering the pot around to the three visitors, all of whom accepted.
"So," Lester said with a slight shrug once the maid had left the room. "Where are my people, Sir?"
The Minister did not reply. Instead he slid a clear plastic wallet across the table towards Lester.
"That hand-writing looks very familiar."
"It should," the Minister replied. "It is written by one Sarah Page."
"Sarah's alive?" Captain Becker tried to hide his excitement and relief although despite his best efforts, both emotions were evident. "Where?"
"The Twelfth Century. This incomplete note was discovered four days ago; she had slid it between a crack in the brickwork at St. Albans Cathedral."
"With all due respect, Sir, why am I only being made aware of this now? It's not like the note isn't addressed to me now, is it?"
"I apologise for that James, but my team is more than capable of rescuing Ms. Page."
"I'm sure," Lester stifled a chuckle. "That's exactly why you took you of my operative for the mission."
"They will return, and when they do I have a proposal for you."
"I'm listening."
"I want two teams to operate out of the ARC; the first to do what you already do and deal with any creature incursion that may occur, and the second to operate as my own team currently do."
"And how might that be, Sir?" Captain Becker addressed the Minister directly.
"Search and Rescue," the Minister replied without missing a beat. "You will be working with Captain Mitchell. I believe that you know him quite well, Captain Becker."
"Harry Mitchell? That's right Sir, we have served together on more than one occasion."
"Well won't that be nice for everyone," Lester said, clearly he was becoming irritated with the niceties. "When will my people be back?"
"Their projected return date is two days from now," the Minister replied. "I'm sorry that I did not tell you sooner James I really am but you know how it is. National Security and all that,"
"Yes, quite," Lester replied as he got to his feet, an act copied by both Becker and Jess. "Now if you'll excuse us Sir, we have to deal with a renegade."
***
For the entirety of the short journey back to the ARC, James Lester sat in the back of the four-wheel drive whilst fuming silently. In the front of the vehicle Becker and Jess were talking amongst themselves about things that really did not matter, and were certainly not related to the meeting that they had attended moments ago.
Lester would normally have made some snide comment but he was far too angry. Of course his companions were not to blame, that accolade fell upon the Minister. Lester felt that at the very least, he should have been made aware of the Search and Rescue project but at least now he had more pieces of the puzzle.
The only thing that he did not understand was that the Minister did not appear at all surprised about Matt Anderson and his apparent involvement in whatever the Triassic facility was. In fact if he had not known better, James Lester would have taken an oath to the effect that the Minister already knew of Matt's involvement and would even go as far as to say that he had sanctioned it.
"Jess, do you know where Matt is now?" he asked from the back seat, not caring that he had interrupted their conversation. He waited impatiently, drumming his fingers on the armrest that lay in the centre of the back seat as Jess fumbled with her laptop.
"Give me a second," Jess bought herself a little time as she brought up the program that would pinpoint all ARC team members, providing they had their Black Box with them. "He's in Leysdown-on-Sea."
"Where on Earth..?"
"The Isle of Sheppey, Sir," Becker interrupted. "We can be there in just under forty minutes."
"Make it twenty minutes, Captain," James Lester replied in his more usual irritable tone. "I do hate the back seat."
"Yes Sir," Becker replied, as he pushed his foot further to the floor.
"An Anomaly has just opened," said Jess. She knew where it was going to be, but she needed to wait for the portable Anomaly Detection Device to lock onto the location before she said, just to be sure.
"Let me guess, the Anomaly is in Leyton-on-Sea?" Lester posed the question.
"Actually Sir it's Leysdown-on-Sea but yes, you're correct," Jess replied as the ADD locked onto the Anomalies location. "In the cemetery of a now demolished church."
***
Matt picked his way through the rubble, all that remained of St Clements Church., holding a portable ADD in one hand and a pulse rifle in the other. He rounded a corner and there was the Anomaly in all its shimmering glory. Even though he had seen countless Anomalies, he was always in awe of them, despite the fact that he knew that the phenomenon was responsible for the barren, sterile Earth that existed in his own time.
He stopped in his tracks as he heard the 'Raptor bark, and although he knew that said 'Raptor was yet to make it's way through the Anomaly he took cover in such a fashion that he had a clear view of the Anomaly, and a clear shot at whatever creature came through it. His employers, both of whom were yet to give their names, had not been specific as to what creatures they required for their Triassic facility in fact the only stipulation they had given was that whatever the creatures, they must be unharmed. Matt had already successfully delivered a pair of Dimetrodon, an apex predator from the Permian era and now, he hoped to snag a pair of 'Raptors.
After almost ten minutes of watching and waiting, his target made it's way through the Anomaly. He allowed the lone 'Raptor to get about twenty feet away from the Anomaly and waited for it to bark, a signal to any others of it's kind that were on the other side that is was safe to come through and then he fired. He did not have the pulse weapon on full power for that would have killed the creature and he only required it to be knocked out for a few hours, just long enough for him to load it onto the back of the trailer that he had parked on the road. Once there he would inject it with a powerful tranquilliser, and take it to the Triassic era, to it's new home.
The 'Raptor fell heavily to the floor and a few seconds later a second creature came through the Anomaly. Matt fired again, taking out the second 'Raptor before it had a chance to call to any others of it's kind. He then ran back to the trailer and grabbed the rope that at one end was attached to a winch, the other end he would secure around each 'Raptor and the winch would then drag them, one at a time, onto the trailer.
***
In their Government issue four-wheel drive James Lester, Jess Parker and Captain Becker watched unnoticed as Matt loaded what appeared to be two Velociraptors onto a trailer. He then clambered into the vehicle and drove off, extremely quickly. As the vehicle that Matt was driving was also Government issue, it was extremely unlikely that he would be pulled over for speeding.
"You are tracking him, aren't you Jess?"
"Yes Sir," she replied diligently.
"Good, now we had better lock that Anomaly. We can't have Velociraptors running amuck all over the Isle of Sheppey, try explaining that one to the Kent Tourism Office."
Lester got out of the vehicle and walked around it, stretching his legs whilst Becker busied himself locking the Anomaly. It did not take him long at all and once the task was complete he put a call into his own team of Special Forces operatives, giving the instruction that two of them come immediately to the Anomaly's location and stand guard.
"Where is he heading Jess?" Lester asked once Becker had put in the call.
"It's hard to say, I think he is trying to avoid being tracked,"
"Well he has some sense at least," James Lester sighed. "All right Becker. Take us back to the ARC. I'm not about to follow Anderson on a wild goose chase. When we know where he is going, that is when we will make our move."
"Yes Sir," Becker replied as he started the vehicle. "Shouldn't Jess and I head back to the Triassic and keep an eye on things."
He could not help but notice the glint in Jess' eyes as he made the suggestion and apparently, Lester had noticed it too.
"Fine... fine..." he sighed, shaking his head as he spoke. "But take me back to the ARC first if you please, I don't think that a Triassic tan would suit my complexion."
***
To say that Captain Becker was irritated would have been an understatement, for rather than taking a trip back to the Triassic with Jess Parker, the two of them were instead on their way back to Leysdown-on-Sea. The two Special Forces operatives whom he had ordered to lock the Anomaly in the cemetery and stand guard were almost an hour late in making their hourly status update with the ARC so instead of spending time in the Triassic sun with Jess who was, quite frankly, a beautiful if slightly off-the-wall woman, he was going to rip Davies and Barnes a new one.
"Davies, Barnes," he barked into the radio for the umpteenth time. "Are you receiving? Over."
"I'm sure that there's a perfectly reasonable explanation," Jess said from the passenger seat of the four-wheel drive, but she was damned if she could think what that explanation might be.
"Put it this way," Becker shook his head as the he guided the vehicle onto the seafront road. "There had better bloody well be. I have more important things to be doing."
"There's the church." Jess pointed out the now-demolished church, although there had been no need. The vehicle slowed to a halt and both Becker and Jess alighted before making their way around to the cemetery at the church's rear. Becker carried a pulse rifle for although he was not expecting to encounter any trouble his Special Forces training had taught him one thing; expect the unexpected, especially in this job.
"The Anomaly is still locked," Jess commented as she saw the floating, glowing orb of light where once there had been diamonds dancing in the air. "That has to be a good thing, doesn't it?"
"I certainly hope so," Becker replied grimly as he clicked on his radio. "Davies, Barnes. Do you read? Over."
Again there was no reply and as he and Jess approached the locked Anomaly, they soon discovered why that was the case. The bodies of both Davies and Barnes were lying face-up on the floor and from a distance of a few feet, Becker could see that both men had had their throats slit.
"Jess," he said as calmly as he could manage. "Go back to the truck and call this in. Lester needs to know that we have a problem."
"What did this?" Jess asked. She was not particularly squeamish and the sight of two dead bodies did not bother her in the slightest. "They've had their throats cut."
"I know," Becker replied solemnly. "This wasn't a creature."
"If it wasn't a creature, then that means..."
"Call it in Jess, please!" He noticed something protruding from the pocket of Davies protective vest and he pulled it out, a handkerchief with the initials 'H.C.' embroidered in italics in an off-blue colour at the corner of the material. "We definitely have a problem."
***
Jenny Lewis and Danny Quinn ran through the forest, heading for the location that Connor had given over the radio. Even though they would not have admitted it out loud and would most certainly not have done so in front of the others, neither of them had actually expected to find Sarah Page. That is not to say that they were not ecstatic about having found her because they were, but the convenience of the whole thing; it just felt too easy.
With Danny out in front they soon arrived at the location, a small clearing deep in Swinley Forest and sure enough, there was the ARC issue pop-up tent.
"Where is she then?" Danny asked as he saw Abby and Connor's smiling faces.
"Well... I dunno' mate," Connor replied with a shrug. "This is her camp though."
"Are you sure?" Jenny asked, slightly breathless.
"It's not going to be anyone else, is it?" Connor asked with a laugh. "And besides, there's a pair of dirty knickers in the tent." That comment brought a playful yet painful punch from Abby, who shook her head and shrugged towards the other two by way of an apology.
"I went through her things," Abby said, still shaking her head. "And I told you that in confidence, you don't have to tell the world absolutely everything."
"Sorry," Connor replied sheepishly. He turned around and for the first time he noticed that there was something attached the trunk of a nearby tree. "Hey, what's that?"
Both he and Danny made their way over to the tree, and the latter reached out and removed the white handkerchief that had been attached to the trunk using what appeared to be sap from the tree itself. Upon the handkerchief were the initials 'H.C.', embroidered in an off-blue colour at the corner of the material. The two men looked at each other in disbelief, quite unsure of what to say.
"What is it? The suspense is killing me," Jenny said as she and Abby made their way over to where Connor and Danny were standing, still staring at each other. She looked at the handkerchief that Danny held in his hand before showing it to Abby.
"But... I thought she was dead," Abby stammered, voicing exactly what everyone else was thinking. "Danny, you saw Helen Cutter die."
***
As he walked out through the sliding doors, Cal breathed a sigh of relief. He hated hospitals at the best of times but he had almost gone stir crazy, as he had only just been discharged after a week. All he wanted to do now was to put recent events behind him and to forget all about Anomalies and dinosaurs. Even as he said the words inside his head they sounded absolutely ridiculous to him.
Dinosaurs? Holes in time?
They were both preposterous notions and he fully intended to get on with the rest of his life without giving either another thought. He stopped at the nearest newsstand and bought a packet of cigarettes, and lit one before heading in the direction of the nearest tube station. As he turned a corner he very nearly walked right into a woman, and he quickly voiced his apology.
"Sorry about that," he said with a smile. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
"That's OK," she replied, matching Cal's smile and catching his eye. "Hey, don't I know you?"
"I don't think so," Cal replied bashfully. The woman was quite attractive and probably in her mid-forties, but she did look good for her age.
"Well, I'd like to," she said as still she smiled. "Would you like to get a coffee?"
"Yeah, yeah OK," said Cal after a couple of seconds.
"There's a Starbucks just around the corner," she said, pointing back in the direction from which Cal had just walked. "I'll buy you a coffee, and you can tell me all about yourself."
Cal shrugged and nodded in agreement before he followed the woman around the corner. She told him to take a seat outside whilst she went inside and ordered two coffees before joining him outside. She declined the offer of a cigarette and waiting for Cal to light one before she spoke again. "So you have been in hospital?"
"Yeah," Cal replied with a dubious look on his face. "How did you know?"
"Lucky guess," the woman replied. "Besides there is little else in the direction that you came from," she paused to take a sip of her steaming coffee. "So what were you in for?"
"I was attacked," he replied as he too took a sip of his coffee.
"It must have been bad if it meant that you were hospitalised," she replied, a look of genuine concern on her face. "Do you know who attacked you?"
"It's more a case of what it was that attacked me," it felt ridiculous to him to be even entertaining the idea of telling the woman, a complete stranger, exactly what had happened to him. "And I don't think that you'd believe me if I told you."
"Oh I don't know," she said with a smile that seemed to be begging Cal to tell her. "You would be surprised at what I am prepared to believe."
"Well... no, I can't," Cal shook his head and took another sip from the mug of coffee. "I'd feel stupid, and you'd definitely think that I'm crazy."
"Go on," she said sweetly as she gently placed her hand atop Cal's own hand. "You can tell me anything."
"But I hardly know you," Cal protested half-heartedly.
"Well, that is something that we can rectify quite easily."
***
A few hours later Cal lay naked in bed next to the woman he had met earlier in the day. As she nuzzled his neck he breathed deeply, quite unable to believe what had just happened. He put it down to the fact that he had been in hospital for the last week and that the amount of drugs that he had been on had lowered his inhibitions somewhat, for he was certainly not the type of man who would jump into bed with a woman that he barely knew, well not until now it seemed.
He enjoyed the closeness, and the way that her naked body felt against his own skin. As he drifted off to sleep he thought that he heard her say something to him, but he did not know what it was for he was too exhausted to stay awake; the day's activities had taken a lot out of him.
When Cal awoke he peered across the bed through bleary eyes, and realised that he was alone. He was about to get up out of bed and put his clothes on when a door opened and the woman entered the room with a towel wrapped about her.
"You're not going, are you?" she asked, feigning that she was hurt.
"No.. I thought..."
"You thought that I had beat a hasty retreat?" she laughed as she spoke. "You don't get off quite as easy as that." She dropped the towel to the floor and hopped onto the bed beside Cal. As she lay next to him she trailed her index finger up and down his arm. "So are you going to tell me what it was that attacked you, now that we know each other a little better?"
"You're going to think that I'm crazy," again Cal protested, but he knew that he had little choice; he was going to have to tell her.
"Try me," she replied as she planted a kiss on his lips.
"OK," Cal replied, and then he proceeded to tell her of his ordeal. He told her of the Anomalies and the wonders and dangers that were to be found on the other side. He told her of the Velociraptor that had attacked him, and of how a man named Danny had saved his life. And finally he told her of the Search and Rescue team that worked for the Government.
"Well," she paused and flashed him a smile. "That does sound like quite the conspiracy."
"I told you that you would think that I'm crazy."
"I don't think that you are crazy, not at all."
"You don't?"
"No, in fact I am going to let you into a little secret, Cal."
"A secret?" he asked, and as soon as he spoke he sensed that something was amiss. "Wait... I never did tell you my name."
"Didn't you?" she smiled wickedly and pushed herself up from the bed. "Oops."
As she stood still naked beside the bed, the bedroom door opened and another woman entered. Cal had to double take because the newcomer was an exact copy of the woman with whom he had spent the night, and he almost passed out when yet another doppelgänger entered from the en suite bathroom.
"Wh... what's going on?" Cal asked, suddenly very aware that he was stark naked in front of three women, albeit three women who looked exactly the same. "Who are you?"
"My name is Helen Cutter, and these..." she gestured to the other two women. "...are two of my clones."
***
As he and Jess Parker made their way to James Lester's office, Captain Becker could imagine the look on his boss' face when they told him the news. As he pushed the door open and allowed Jess to pass through first, Lester glanced up from his desk.
"Whatever happened to manners?" he smirked as they entered. "Do we not knock any more?"
"Sorry Sir," Becker apologised as he took from his pocket the handkerchief that he and Jess had found in the cemetery. "But this really can't wait."
"Well it had better be good," Lester did not look up from his paperwork until Becker placed the handkerchief delicately upon his desk. "H.C.," he mused quietly, noticing that the letters were embroidered delicately at the material's corner.
"Two of my men were murdered and we found that with their bodies." Becker flinched as he felt Jess' hand upon his arm.
"So, Helen Cutter is back and up to her old tricks," Lester replied, shaking his head as he spoke. "What superb timing, as we're already down two members of the team."
"Would you like me to find the others?" the Special Forces Captain asked.
"What?" James Lester asked although he appeared to be distracted. The return of Helen Cutter was all he needed, the woman was nothing but trouble. "Oh.. no, I need you and Jess on this side of the Anomalies and in spite of what he may or may not be up to, we are going to have to bring Matt in on this as well."
"Are you sure that would be a wise move, Sir?"
"We have no other choice," Lester replied with a shrug, and both Becker and Jess knew it to be the truth. "I will get onto the Minister though. We need Connor and Abby back here. If Quinn and Jenny are with them then that will only work in our favour."
"You would have them back, Sir? Danny and Jenny I mean?"
"In a heartbeat," he smiled as he spoke. "Call me old fashioned, but I yearn for the way things used to be."
He reached out and shuffled papers on his desk.
"Jess, bring Matt in and get him up to speed. I shall get onto the Minister right away."
He waited for his two guests to leave his office and was about to pick up the phone to make a call, when the telephone rang.
"Yes?" he said as he picked up the receiver. A few moments of silence passed as a message was relayed to him and then he replaced the receiver. He quickly stood out of his chair and made for the door.
"Becker," his voice was not raised, but Captain Becker heard him all the same and turned. "The boy Cal, he is at the Central Police Station and asking for you. Apparently, he has some rather interesting news and will talk to no one else."
***
Following an extremely brief and heated meeting with the Minister during which James Lester convinced the man that rather than waiting for the team to return from the twelfth century before the ARC became home to the Search and Rescue team, the switch should be made as soon as possible, as Helen Cutter's return meant that tactics would have to be altered drastically and this was just the first step on the road to what would eventually be a much stronger and secure operation, he was taken via car to the warehouse out of which the Search and Rescue team operated.
He entered through a side door and as he did so he let out a low whistle, for the set-up within the warehouse was very similar to that of the ARC, or at least the way the ARC used to be. There were several armed Special Forces personnel, and in front of a large computer interface that clearly served as an Anomaly Detection Device, Lester saw the two people that he had come to see. He made his way over to the ADD, his shoes clicking loudly on the concrete floor as he did so.
"Watts? Manners?" He waited until he was very nearly directly behind the two before he spoke, and allowed himself the smallest of smiles as the female of the two almost jumped out of her skin.
"James Lester," he answered the question that he could see forming upon their lips. "Your new boss."
"It's true then?" Sean Manners asked as he held out his hand, although Lester neglected to shake it.
"What's true?"
"That our operation is to join forces with the ARC," Sean was seemingly unable to hide his excitement, as a broad smile spread across his face. "We'd heard rumours, but..."
"Yes, yes," Lester interrupted. "Those rumours are true. I assume that the two of you have read the ARC's files?"
"Of course," Carly Watts replied.
"Good, then I don't need to go into any long-winded explanations," Lester turned and began to walk back towards the door. After a few steps he realised that he was not being followed.
"Come on, do keep up," he said over his shoulder and then waited whilst Carly and Sean grabbed their things and ran after him. He did not speak again until they were directly behind him, keeping his brisk pace. "It seems that despite all of our best efforts, Helen Cutter is alive and well."
There was no reply from either of his new recruits and once outside the warehouse, he came to a halt as he waited for the car to be brought around.
"It doesn't bode well, does it?"
***
Once at London Central Police Station, Captain Becker was shown to interview room three and he took a seat on the metal table in the centre of the small room as he waited for Cal to be brought to him. A few moments later the door opened and, accompanied by two police officers, Cal was brought into the room.
"It's all right boys, you don't need to be in here," Becker said when he realised that the two officers intended to stay. The police officers were about to protest but as Becker was a Special Forces Captain, it was probably more than their jobs were worth and they left the room with a nod that said, 'We'll leave, but we'll be right outside the door.'
Once they were alone, Becker turned his attention to Cal.
"You wanted to see me?" It was clear to him that the boy was shaken up, as if he had seen a ghost. "Take your time Cal, it's all right,"
"I met a woman," Cal paused and took several deep, long breaths. "She was really nice to me and I don't know why, but I told her about what happened."
"You mean about the Anomalies?"
"Yes," Cal nodded.
"What was her name?" Becker was pretty certain that he knew what Cal's answer would be, but he had to be certain.
"Helen Cutter," Cal replied, to which Becker nodded slowly. "That isn't all though."
"OK, go on."
"There was... more than one of her," even as he said it, Cal knew that he sounded crazy. "She said that they were her clones."
"So that's how she did it!" Becker exclaimed. "How many?"
"Two but the way she said it, she made it sound like there were more," Cal looked questioningly at Captain Becker. "You're not surprised by that at all, are you?"
"No, not at all," Becker replied. "She discovered the cloning technology sometime in the future, and has used clones against the ARC on more than one occasion."
"Am I safe?"
"I wouldn't have thought so," he replied with a chuckle. "It's OK though, you'll be safe at the ARC."
***
James Lester took note of the look that Sean Manners and Carly Watts shared as he showed them into the ARC's operations centre, a look that said, 'finally, we're here.'
"Right well I do apologise for interrupting such a special moment for you both, but we do have work to do." He waved Jess over from where she sat at the ADD.
"Jess, I need you and Carly here to find a route to the twelfth century. I am certain that between the two of you, you can find a much quicker and more direct route than the route that Connor found."
"Yes Sir," Jess replied as she and Carly headed towards the Anomaly Detection Device.
"What about me, Sir?" Sean asked, not wanting to be left out.
"As soon as Captain Becker returns, I want the two of you out looking for Matt Anderson," Lester replied. "We're going to need our team at full strength if we're going to fight Helen Cutter."
"It might not be as easy as all of that," Captain Becker spoke as he and Cal entered the operations centre.
"It never is," Lester rolled his eyes. "And why, pray tell, might that be?"
"Because Helen Cutter has clones, at least two of them."
"Oh dear," James Lester replied. "That is very worrying news indeed,"
***
Danny looked from Abby to Connor, and finally to Jenny. All were staring at him, waiting expectantly for him to give some kind of explanation as to why Helen Cutter was still alive, but he had no idea where to begin. He had witnessed Helen's death with his own eyes and if by some freak coincidence she had survived, then surely she would have finished what she started, but the human race still existed.
"I don't know what to tell you," Danny Quinn replied helplessly. "I saw her die. I mean, it's not like I buried her body or anything, but she was definitely dead."
"We all believe you mate," Connor said, in his familiar cheery tone. "There'll be some explanation that we haven't I haven't thought of yet, that's all."
"There are more important things for us to worry about first though." Jenny was of course referring to Sarah, and her apparent disappearance at the hands of Helen Cutter. "We came here to find Sarah, and that is exactly what we are going to do."
She glanced towards Abby and saw that the blonde-haired girl was studying the ground intently.
"Abby?"
"Have you guys noticed these tracks?" Abby muttered her response, her eyes still fixed upon the ground. "These belong to Sarah." She pointed with the toe of her boot to a scuffed set of footprints. "And those there belong to our friend Helen."
"Well that makes sense, doesn't it?" Connor asked with a shrug.
"They're not the only prints Connor," Danny replied, for he too had noticed the tracks but had thought it best not to say anything, at least not straight away.
"A creature," Abby mumbled. "Mammalian, but a very big one."
Abby pointed out the very distinct set of tracks to Connor. "See?"
"Chalicothere," he replied quickly. "They died out in the Pleistocene, about eight hundred thousand years ago."
"Are they dangerous?" Danny asked. He felt his entire body tense automatically as he spoke.
"Only if you get caught in a stampede, they were herbivores," Connor explained.
"Good," said Jenny before she breathed deeply, savouring the clear forest air. "We are going to have to split up. Danny, you and I are going back to the ARC. James needs to be made aware that Helen Cutter is still around."
"Should be an interesting reunion," Danny replied with a chuckle.
"Abby, I want you and Connor to search for Sarah," Jenny continued, completely ignoring Danny's off-the-cuff remark. "She may still be in this time period, and I want to be entirely certain either way before we risk stranding her again."
"Here you are, mate," Connor smiled as he tossed the Anomaly Detection Device to Danny, who caught it deftly. "You'll need that to get back, I have the route memorised."
"Are you sure Connor?" Abby asked dubiously. "I don't want to be stuck here."
"What? Don't you trust me?" he replied with a wink before he turned back to Danny and Jenny. "Say hello to Lester for us."
***
Matt Anderson quickly closed the cage door and locked it before he breathed a sigh of relief. He watched for a moment as inside the cage, the 'Raptors began to stir.
"A job well done," the voice was that of one of his two employers, the female who was yet to give her name. "I must say, my colleague and I did not think that you would pull it off, certainly not with Velociraptors."
"Yeah, well..." Matt paused to wipe his brow with the back of his hand. The heat in the Triassic was tremendous, so much so that one only had to think about moving and one would sweat profusely. "I'm a professional."
"So it would seem," she replied. "Your fee has already been transferred into your account."
"Thank you very much," replied Matt, his voice lilting in that very typical Irish manner. He felt his mobile phone vibrate in his pocket and inserted his hand to retrieve it. "Sorry, I really do have to take this," he apologised to his employer, and waited patiently for her to walk away before he answered the call. The fact that his mobile phone was receiving a call whilst he was in the Triassic meant that the Anomaly had reopened, else there would have been no reception. "What is it, Jess?"
"Hello to you too," Jess Parker replied with a chuckle.
"Sorry, I'm a little busy," replied Matt flatly.
"Well then you really aren't going to like this. We need your help, Matt."
"Can't it wait?"
"Not really," Jess paused momentarily. "Helen Cutter is back, and she's not alone."
"What do you mean, she's not alone?" Matt asked impatiently.
"Look Matt, I'm really not going to have this conversation over the phone. Get back to the ARC, and you'll be briefed with the rest of us." With that, Jess terminated the call and shaking his head, Matt returned his mobile phone to his pocket.
"The ARC are not going to be a problem for us, are they?" Matt spun around upon hearing her voice. He did not know how she had done it but his employer had crept up on him. "We cannot afford our operation to be compromised."
"I can handle the ARC," Matt assured her.
"Good, because I know what James Lester is like. He and I go way back."
"Don't worry, no one knows about this place, especially no one at the ARC," he insisted. "I have to get back though." Matt turned and headed for the exit of the Triassic facility.
"I'll be in touch," he shouted over his shoulder.
As Matt left the facility behind and made for the Anomaly, he could not help but wonder exactly what history there was between his two employers. It did not surprise him though, for he knew that James Lester had been around the block a few times. As for his female employer at the Triassic facility, she was much harder to read. He would get there though, of that he was certain.
***
She watched Matt Anderson leave, and waited until his thick-set form was nothing more than a pinprick upon the rocky slope that led towards the still open Anomaly.
"James Lester must be dealt with."
"I agree." She turned and found herself looking straight into the eyes of Helen Cutter.
"I'm going through the Anomaly. I have an ally I should meet with," Helen replied. In her hands she held a device, much like the Anomaly Device on the outside. She held it out and with a gentle push of a button, her companion's appearance altered. It was as if Helen had changed the channel on the television, the image flickered slightly and within seconds, there were two identical versions of Helen Cutter standing side by side.
The clone nodded, turned and walked away. Helen had created them with a level of intelligence almost equal to her own so that they could act independently in an efficient manner, whilst at the same time lacking the wherewithal to question her leadership.
***
Connor Temple watched Abby Maitland's backside intently as he followed her slowly through the trees. They were skirting around the edge of a grazing herd of Chalicothere, enormous prehistoric Rhinoceros'.
"Eyes off the prize, Connor," Abby stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. "I think the herd is about to move on."
"Well, as long as they don't come this way," Connor knew that he should not have tempted fate in such a way but he simply could not stop the words coming out of his mouth. The two companions shared a look for a few seconds, both with their eyes wide open.
As one the herd began to move in Abby and Connor's direction. For such large beasts they were deceptively quick, and it was all that Abby could do to scamper up a tree, reaching out her hand for Connor with her limber legs wrapped around a thick branch. She pulled him up just in time, else he would most certainly have been trampled by the Chalicothere.
"Thanks..." Connor muttered beneath his breath as he took a perch upon the branch.
"Don't mention it, just don't freeze like that again the next time you're about to be trampled!" she laughed as she looked into his eyes. "You're such an idiot."
"Yeah, but you love me for it," he replied with a grin. It had been almost a day since Jenny Lewis and Danny Quinn had left to head back to warn Lester that Helen Cutter was back and causing trouble.
"You know what? I don't think that either Helen or Sarah are in this time any more."
"I'm beginning to think the same thing," Abby replied as the herd of Ghalicothere made their way noisily beneath them. "Do you think that she was trying to split us up?"
"Well we're easier to take care of if we're not together as a group. Do you want to head back to the ARC?"
"I think that would be a good idea."
***
James Lester turned as Danny and Jenny walked calmly into the ARC's main hub, accompanied by guards on either side of them. He looked from Danny's grinning face to Jenny's apologetic smile before he spoke.
"So, the prodigal children return," he made an effort to put as much sarcasm into his voice as possible, no mean feat for a man whose default setting was 'sarcastic.' "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"I think, James, that judging by the amount of activity going on in here, that you already know," Jenny smiled sweetly, ignoring his tone.
"Well yes, you're right," Lester shrugged. "But if you ever commandeer any of my staff without my say-so in the future, I shall have you shot. Do we understand each other?"
"Unequivocally," she replied.
"Good," he smiled demurely. "It is however, good to have you back. I trust that you had an eventful trip to the Twelfth Century?"
"Both Sarah and Helen were definitely there," Danny answered Lester's question. "My guess is that we missed them by an hour at the most."
"Better luck next time, as they say," he peered over Danny's shoulder as he spoke, raising his eyebrows as Matt Anderson entered. "Ah, Matt. So good of you to join us."
"Sorry James, I was busy," replied the Irishman.
"Yes... you always are," he shrugged again, shaking his head as he did so. "Danny Quinn, Jenny Lewis. The gentleman behind you is Matt Anderson, the ARC's current team leader."
"Pleasure," Danny muttered, for Matt Anderson was essentially his replacement, although Danny had of course been otherwise engaged at the time of Matt's appointment. "So, what's our next move, boss?"
"Well Jess and Carly here were busy plotting a route to retrieve you from the Twelfth Century, but clearly that is no longer necessary."
"I'm sure that Connor and Abby will find their way back, even without the Anomaly Device,"
"They have no device?"
"Just a portable ADD," Danny replied. "Connor has the route back memorised."
"Yes, because Connor has never got anything wrong before," Lester smiled wryly. "Right well we'll have to make plans without them, and just hope that they show up."
"We should start at the Triassic facility," Matt spoke up, making his way towards the ARC's central console as he did so.
"Oh yes Matthew, do tell us all about this facility, whom you have been working for I understand."
"I've been gathering intel whilst everyone else has been sitting around twiddling their thumbs," Matt snapped, more forcefully than he intended.
"I do not care for heroes, they have a nasty habit of getting themselves killed." Lester was talking about Nick Cutter and Stephen Hart, although he would not say so out loud. "We are a team, Matthew, and you need to start treating us as such."
"Fair enough, I'm sorry all right?" he smiled weakly at first Lester and then at Jess Parker, both of whom nodded and smiled in return. "My contact at the facility is a woman, I have no idea what her name is but she's the one who gives my orders and pays my fee," he paused for a moment. "There's something a bit off about her; it's as if she is taking orders too, the kind of orders that you really don't ignore."
"Then our first port of call is to find out who's dishing out her orders," Captain Becker had entered the room during Matt's little speech, and clearly he wanted to get straight down to business. "Danny, Jenny, it's good to see you both." He nodded a greeting to his former colleagues before he continued. "I'd put money on Helen Cutter being behind this facility."
"I'm inclined to agree, which means that we need to send two people inside to scope the place out, two people that Helen has never seen."
"Sean and I can go in, posing as investors of some kind," Carly suggested. "Although we'll need a backstory."
"I would imagine that James and I can come up with something between us," Jenny replied with a smile in Lester's direction.
"Oh yes," Lester snorted. "Because we don't have enough to do already."
***
The sky above them was a deep, almost blood red, and as they gingerly picked their way through the forest of enormous rocks and boulders, both Abby Maitland and Connor Temple were afraid.
"I thought you said that you knew how to get back, Connor," Abby snapped as viciously as she could. The air was thick with what smelled like sulphur, and as she chanced yet another glance to the sky she could see no stars, only the Moon stared back at her, at least five times as big as she had ever seen it before. She stopped to rest, and placed her hand upon one of the many large boulders. It was warm to the touch. "Do you even know whereabouts we are?"
"I originally thought we were in the Permian," Connor replied, pausing to take a deep gulp of the putrid air. "But I think we're in the future."
He would not admit it to Abby, but the proximity of the Moon to Earth was a major concern, especially as it appeared to be getting closer and closer by the hour. There was another thing that was bothering him too, that being that they had been stumbling through the desert for almost eighteen hours, and they were yet to see any evidence of life. The problem was, in Connor's experience, that normally meant that there was something, very big and very hungry, very close by.
"How far into the future?" Abby asked, this time speaking much more softly than before. She had not intended to snap, after all it was not Connor's fault that they were where they were. She was certain that they had followed the same path back through the Anomalies that Danny Quinn and Jenny Smith would have, and yet that was clearly not the case.
"I couldn't even hazard a guess," Connor shrugged heavily as he and Abby began to move on once more. "A long way though, the planet's almost dead."
He paused again to catch his breath, and it was then that he felt the Earth quite literally move beneath his feet. "Did you feel that?"
"Feel what?" Abby asked, turning to face Connor. She was sweating profusely, and felt in desperate need of a spa weekend, even more-so than she had during their tenure in the Cretaceous. She and Connor had spent a little over a year stranded there and yet that had been nothing compared to a paltry eighteen hours in this Hell-hole.
"Do you remember the Anomaly in that office building a few years ago, back when Cutter and Stephen were alive?" he asked as he began to climb up the nearest boulder, gesturing with his eyes that Abby should do the same.
"Yes," replied Abby thoughtfully. "Oh God, the worms?"
Quickly, she scampered over to Connor and onto the same boulder upon which he now sat. She placed the palms of her hands face down on the boulder, and as she did so her eyes opened wide.
"You feel the vibrations?" Connor asked, his usual cheeky smile replaced by the most serious expression that Abby had ever witnessed. "They're burrowing just beneath the surface."
He removed the dust-stained ADD from the pocket of his jacket, and switched it on.
"Anything?" Abby asked after a few seconds.
"No," he replied with a look of both disgust and disdain. He was about to replace the ADD to his pocket, when it bleeped. "Wait... we got a live one!"
"How far?"
"About a mile, that way," Connor replied, pointing due west.
"Any idea where we're going to end up?"
"Does it really matter?" asked Connor as he gently lowered himself from the boulder. The worms were much closer now. He could feel the steady rhythm of their burrowing, and it was very unsettling. "Come on, we're going to have to make a run for it. The signal's very weak, I don't know how long it will stay open."
"You sure you want to do this?" Abby asked, her eyebrow raised.
"Yeah... I mean, how fast can these worms be?"
***
Hand in hand, Abby and Connor ran for their very lives, trying to take as shallow breaths as possible. The sulphur stung their throats and lungs as they inhaled but they had little choice. They had to get to the Anomaly, and they had to do so before the worm, almost eighty feet in length and twelve feet in diameter, caught them. Connor chanced a brief look back and then wished that he had not, for if he had just kept on looking where he was going he would not have seen the teeth; thousands of them.
"How... far...?" Abby panted, gripping Connor's hand as tightly as she could.
"Almost there..." Connor replied on a single exhalation. "Just... over this... rise..."
Beneath the tired, heavy thuds of their feet, the ground rose sharply into a steep incline and Connor felt Abby's hand leave the sanctity of his own so that she could use both her hands and her feet to scramble up the rise. Connor did the same, trying not to think about the fact that there was an eighty foot worm below him, with all of those teeth waiting for him to fall.
Neither of them really knew what was happening as a combination of massive amounts of sulphur inhalation and physical exertion had caused both lightheadedness, but as they reached the top of the slope with the worm roaring and growling hungrily behind them, they stumbled towards the bright, twinkling diamond-like lights of the Anomaly and fell through it. They did not care where it was taking them, just that it was taking them away from the closest thing to Hell that either of them ever wanted to experience.
***
Sean Manners and Carly Watts stepped through the Anomaly that led to the Triassic era. Both were dressed in fine clothes, specifically picked out to back up their cover that they were a wealthy couple looking to take their jet-setting life to a brand new level of excitement. Lester had arranged for a temporary bank account to be set up in their name, for should any checks be made everything needed to appear kosher.
"You two all right?" through the earpieces that both Sean and Carly wore in their ears, they heard Danny Quinn's voice loud and clear.
"Petrified," Carly replied with a nervous laugh. "If Helen Cutter is as bad as all that, I think I'd rather face a herd of hungry carnivores."
"You'll be fine," this time it was Matt Anderson's voice that they heard over their communication devices, and somehow his Irish lilt was slightly comforting. "All you need to do is give us a positive I.D. on Helen Cutter then me, Becker, and Quinn will do the rest."
"It really is beautiful here," Sean said quietly as he and Carly picked their way down the long rocky slope, over-looking the dense Triassic rainforest.
It was not long before they found themselves approaching the main gates of the facility. Two guards stood, one on either side of the massive wrought iron gates. Both held a rifle in their hands, and certainly looked like they would have no problem using them. As Sean and Carly got closer, it became apparent to them that both guards were identical, in every single detail. They were both stocky, bald men with rough unkempt stubble upon their chins; they were exactly the same man.
"We are expected," said Sean authoritatively, addressing both guards at the same time. It was vital to their cover that neither Sean or Carly appeared intimidated by anything, regardless of how unfamiliar a situation they might find themselves in. The guards shared a glance before the one on the right shouldered his rifle and gestured that the two visitors should follow him into the facility. They did so and found that they were walking quickly between vast cages, deep pits surrounded by nothing more than your standard post-and-rail fencing, and huge tanks filled with water clearer than either had ever seen.
"Mr and Mrs Winterton." Sean and Carly turned upon hearing the names that their cover required them to use, and they came face to face with Helen Cutter. "I'm so glad that you made it. You had an uneventful journey to my humble abode here in the Triassic?"
"Yes indeed," replied Carly with a false smile. "And you are?" Carly knew full well that the woman was Helen Cutter, but she needed the woman to actually confirm that vocally so that Danny, Matt, and Becker would hear it over the com's.
"In time," she replied, much to their disappointment although both tried their utmost not to show it. "Would you care for a tour?"
Over the course of the next hour or so Sean and Carly were shown around the Triassic facility. It was quite impressive really the vast array of creatures that the facility housed; Theropods, Sauropods, and several ocean-dwelling beasts, however they were yet to be shown any of the apex predators and more irritatingly, Helen Cutter was yet to confirm that that was who she was.
"Can you confirm that it's Helen?" Becker asked over the radio. Of course he was not expecting an answer, for if Sean and Carly had any sense they would not do so in order to preserve their cover.
Sean and Carly reluctantly followed her down a dark, narrow corridor that lead off the Plesiosaur viewing area.
"I have an extremely bad feeling about this," Carly muttered beneath her breath. Her fears were confirmed as she heard a bolt hit home behind them and suddenly they were bathed in artificial light, and she and Sean shielded their eyes. Once their eyes grew accustomed to the fluorescent light they found that they were directly in the centre of a huge cage. They were not the only occupants of the cage though, for there were three 'Raptors eyeing them hungrily from several feet away.
"Did Lester really think that he could get one over on me?"
"Helen Cutter?" Sean growled with a look in the direction of the woman who was currently leaning casually against the back of a wooden chair.
"There's no need for pleasantries, of course it's me," she replied, almost jovially. "I assume that everyone is listening in? Lester? Danny? The new boy?"
"Yes," Carly replied, a downcast look spread across her face. "You don't think that they'd send us in without backup, do you?"
"It wouldn't be the first time," Helen shrugged, and turned to a man who was stood next to her, one of the guards who both Carly and Sean could not help but notice was exactly the same in appearance as those two guards who had been on the main gate. "Bring out our other prisoner, throw her in there too."
"You're insane," Sean shouted with as much volume as he dared. "These 'Raptors are going to rip us to shreds."
"Not without my say-so they won't," she replied. "See, they are under my control. Now, I think we ought to get everyone here, don't you?"
***
Some time later Sean and Carly were joined inside the cage by Sarah Page, James Lester, Danny Quinn, Jess Parker, Matt Anderson, Captain Becker and Jenny Lewis. Helen Cutter remained on the outside of the cage and although her private army of clones held weapons, there really was no need for them to do so; the trio of 'Raptors was more than enough of a deterrent against anyone trying anything heroic.
"So Helen, what's the game plan here?" Sir James Lester asked, his voice dripping with loathing. "Or are you going to keep us all guessing?"
"Perhaps I can answer that question," a familiar male voice replied as it's owner stepped out of the shadows.
"Cal?" Becker stammered. "You were a plant."
"Not only a plant, but a clone," said Helen with a smirk. "He doesn't really have anything to do with what's going on here though, but it was a lot of fun getting him inside the ARC. I have to say though, James, your security has got a little lax of late."
"Yes well, fixing any security leaks is on the list. A close second to getting rid of you once and for all."
"Unfortunately for you James, that is not going to happen."
"Then why don't you fill in the gaps." It was more of an order than a suggestion, and as Jenny spoke she could feel the eyes of all of Helen's clone army boring into her.
"I don't see that it would do any harm," she replied with the slightest of shrugs. "Well in a little under three minutes an Anomaly will appear in the centre of the cage that you all currently find yourselves in, an Anomaly that will change the World."
"Heard that line before," Danny chuckled. "C'mon Helen, let us out of here so that me and Becker can have some fun with your clones."
"Calm down Danny, I don't want you to get too excited," Helen cooed.
"We aren't getting any more information out of you, are we?" Jess asked, finding herself at a complete and total loss as to what to do. She normally felt so in control of every single aspect of her life, and had never felt quite so helpless.
"No, you're not," Helen replied flatly.
"She's absolutely insane," Sarah whispered so that only Lester could hear.
"Of that I have no doubt," Lester agreed as he turned his head to face Sarah. "It's good to have you back, by the way."
"Thanks," she replied with a weak smile. It was at that moment that each and every one of them felt a change in the air as it began to magnetise, a sure sign that an Anomaly was about to open.
"Everyone, step back," Matt ordered. "But not in their direction." He jerked his head slightly in the direction of the three 'Raptors, who had not moved a muscle whilst events had been occurring.
With no more warning, the Anomaly opened with a burst of static and dancing lights, just as the team had managed to get themselves to a safe distance. That was the last thing that any of them remembered, for at that point everything ceased to exist whilst Time and Space reset itself.
***
Before his death Nick Cutter had been working on many theories about the Anomalies, not least the fact that they could be used to completely alter history. He himself had witnessed that when Claudia Brown had disappeared, although he later found her again in Jenny Lewis, an exact copy of the woman he once loved.
That is exactly what had happened; history had been altered and the World had changed although when Connor tumbled through the Anomaly and knocked himself unconscious on the hard rocky floor, he had not realised it, nor did he realise it when he came too to find himself alone.
"Abby?" he glanced around quickly but could not see her anywhere.
"ABBY!" he yelled, but apart from a chorus of various Triassic fauna, he heard nothing in return.
It took him a while to gather his bearings but eventually, Connor found his way to the long rocky slope upon which he knew the Anomaly opened. He clambered up towards it, a long and laborious climb considering what he had been through. Every single muscle in his body protested but having convinced himself that Abby must have already gone through the Anomaly he continued on, fighting against his own body all of the way.
He reached the Anomaly and stepped through, his body still protesting about what he was asking it to do, and found himself on Oxford Street, London. He looked around, frantically scanning the surrounding area but he could not see Abby anywhere.
"Abby!" he shouted again, and it was only then that he noticed that there were four soldiers, each with their weapons trained upon him.
"Guys, have you seen Abby?" he pleaded, assuming that those soldiers were people that he knew.
"Hold your fire," he heard an almost soothing yet extremely authoritative female voice, and those with the weapons did as they were asked instantly.
"Who are you?" Connor asked as the woman approached. "Look it really doesn't matter. Have you seen Abby?"
"I don't know who Abby is," the woman replied. "More to the point, I don't know who you are either."
"Connor Temple, I work for the ARC."
"I don't think that you do, Connor Temple. You see, I run the ARC. I have never seen you before in my life."